Christening Definition

1. the ceremony of baptism, especially as accompanied by the giving of a name to a child.
2. a public ceremony in which a new ship is formally named and launched.
3. an act or instance of naming or dedicating something new.

What is Christening?

Christening is the old
name for Baptism. Usually Christening refers to the name given to the
infant or person during baptising. When babies are baptised, their
parents promise to help them grow up as Christians. Water is poured
on the baby to symbolise a fresh start with God. Also, the purpose of
a christening (or the more modern term, baptism) is providing a
symbol that you want to bring your child up in the eyes of God, and
will try to provide them with Christian beliefs to the best of your
abilities. The water represents a fresh start after having been
cleansed from original sin.

Christening Meaning

Traditionally, Christening
was the naming ceremony to give the child a Christian name. It was
usually done at the same time as baptism, so the two got intertwined.
During the baptism ceremony, parents are asked what name they
have given their child.

Baptism brings a child
into the Christian family. For Catholics, it is the sacrament where a
person is, thanks to Jesus, washed clean from original sin. It is the
first of our three sacraments of initiation (the other two being
Confirmation and Eucharist).

Christening Infants

The form of baptism is: "I
baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the
Holy Ghost." or

"I baptize you in
the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."

If there is some doubt
about the validity of your baptism, the conditional form of baptism
is: "If you are baptised, I do not baptize you again, but if
you are not yet baptised [pour water on the head, making sure it
touches the skin] I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the
Son, and of the Holy Ghost." In lack of Catholic priests,
you can have a Catholic friend perform a conditional baptism, and you
can administer baptism to your own children.

Pope
Eugene IV, Council of Florence, "Exultate Deo,"
1439: "In case of necessity, however, not only a priest or a
deacon, but even a layman or woman, yes even a pagan and a heretic
can baptize, so long as he preserves the form of the Church and has
the intention of doing what the Church does." (Denz. 696)

Christening Symbols

Baptism is the
sacrament of faith. But faith needs the community of
believers. It is only within the faith of the Church that each of
the faithful can believe. The faith for Baptism is not a perfect and
mature faith, but a beginning that is called to develop. The
catechumen or the godparent is asked: "What do you ask of God's
Church?" The response is: Faith.

The sign of the
cross, on the threshold of the celebration, marks with the
imprint of Christ the one who is going to belong to him and
signifies the grace of the redemption Christ won for us by his
cross. Since Baptism signifies liberation from sin and from its
instigator the devil, one or more exorcisms are pronounced over the
candidate. The celebrant then anoints him with the oil of
catechumens, or lays his hands on him, and he explicitly renounces
Satan. Thus prepared, he is able to confess the faith of the
Church, to which he will be entrusted by Baptism.

The baptismal
water is consecrated by a prayer of epiclesis (either at this
moment or at the Easter Vigil). The Church asks God that through his
Son the power of the Holy Spirit may be sent upon the water, so that
those who will be baptised in it may be "born of water and the
Spirit." It signifies and actually brings about death to sin
and entry into the life of the Most Holy Trinity through
configuration to the Paschal mystery of Christ. The use of water as
a purifying substance is universal. Water is also symbolic of the
beginnings of life, and human life which emerges from the waters of
the womb.

The anointing with
sacred chrism, perfumed oil (olive oil mixed and perfumed
with other precious oils) consecrated by the bishop, signifies the
gift of the Holy Spirit to the newly baptised, who has become a
Christian, that is, one "anointed" by the Holy Spirit,
incorporated into Christ who is anointed priest, prophet and king.

The white garment
symbolizes that the person baptised has "put on Christ,"
has risen with Christ.

The candle,
lit from the Easter candle signifies that Christ has enlightened the
neophyte. In him the baptised are "the light of the world."

The solemn
blessing concludes the celebration of Baptism. At the Baptism of
newborns the blessing of the mother occupies a special place.

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"And whosoever shall give to drink to one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, amen I say to you, he shall not lose his reward." Matthew 10:42